Born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1993, Ryan spent much of her youth in Germany, where her father was stationed in the military. While there, she began acting in various professional theater productions. Around age ten, she returned to the United States with her family, who settled in Texas.

In her teens, Ryan began acting in TV commercials, eventually scoring roles in such films as 2007's Barney: Let's Go to the Firehouse and 2008's Longshots. However, her big break came with the starring role of Bailey Pickett on the Disney Channel's The Suite Life on Deck, a spin-off of the highly popular The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. From 2008 to 2011 she starred in the series, during which time she also made crossover appearances on other Disney shows including The Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana. After the show ended, Ryan next signed on for the titular role of Jessie Prescott in the Disney Channel series Jessie, in which she appeared from 2011 to 2015. Also during this period, she acted in a handful of other film and television productions including Lifetime's Kristin's Christmas Past, ABC's Private Practice, and the 2014 feature film Muppets Most Wanted. Ryan also stars in the YouTube Red comedy series Sing It!

As a singer, Ryan made her recorded debut on the soundtrack to the 2012 Disney film Radio Rebel, appearing on several tracks including a cover of the Go-Go's' "We Got the Beat" and the single "We Ended Right," featuring Chase Ryan and Chad Hively. In 2012, Ryan formed the pop and folk-rock-influenced band the Neverending. Two years later, the group debuted with the 2014 EP One, featuring the single "Mulholland Drive." A second single, "Secondhand," appeared in 2015. Also in 2015, Ryan and the Neverending appeared as an opening act on Fifth Harmony's Reflection tour. ~ Matt Collar